FHYSIHERUS. 85 



inflected upwards towards its extremities along the upper and inner 

 margins of the eyes. Thorax quadrate ; the anterior angles distinct 

 and slightly prominent ; the sides submarginate, postmedially coarc- 

 tate, the basal angles being subacute; the surface sparingly punctured; 

 a broad basal depression (somewhat more thickly punctured than the 

 rest of the thorax) is coextensive with the lateral constriction ; im- 

 pubescent, rufo-ferrugineous, with a medial longitudinal fuscous spot 

 at the base. Scutettum triangular, rufo-ferrugineous. Elytra broad, 

 somewhat depressed, punctate-striate, shining, with a slight ante- 

 medial transverse depression extending obliquely upwards towards 

 the shoulders ; fusco-ferrugineous ; a broad and indeterminate fascia, 

 of somewhat paler colour, extends from the shoulders obliquely to 

 the antemedial suture, from which it is separated by the distance of 

 a single stria ; the whole of the apical half of the elytra is also more 

 or less distinctly pale ferrugineous, adumbrated, however, by a trans- 

 verse and indeterminate shading of darker colour. Antennce filiform ; 

 the first joint long, and dilated towards the apex ; the second short, 

 ovate ; third, fourth, and fifth of nearly equal length ; fulvous. Legs 

 pale testaceous throughout, with the bladder-like inflation of the 

 posterior terminal claw bright ferrugineous. 



At first sight, this species appears to be a small variety of P. 

 ephippium; after much examination, however, I have resolved to 

 register it, provisionally at least, as a distinct species. Not only is 

 the insect considerably smaller, but its markings do not correspond 

 to those in P. ephippium ; and the posterior femora and tarsi are 

 more elongate. In that species there is no trace of any other fulvous 

 marking besides the two humeral spots, and at the apex of the elytra 

 these are distinct, and well-defined upon a black ground ; in P. ad- 

 umbratus, however (not to notice the variation in colour), the fulvous 

 colouring at the apex extends nearly halfway up the elytra, and is 

 itself divided transversely by an irregularly-defined ferrugineous 

 marking. The great difference also in the size of the insects (in a 

 group which seems hardly ever to admit of any variation in size 

 among the examples of a species), together with the somewhat more 

 elongated posterior femora and tibiae, strongly support the conclusion 

 that the two insects are specifically distinct. 



Amazon district, Villa Nova. Collected by Mr. Bates. 



19. Physimerus brevicollis. 



P. ovatus, latus, depressus, subtiliter puhescens, rufo-fuscus ; capite 

 brevi, depresso ; thorace transverso, ad medium constricto, punc- 

 tato, rufo-jiavo, ad medium rufo-fusco ; elytris latis, punctato- 



